419 scam: "DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS & ENERGY" <johnmurphy212@rediffmail.com> DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS & ENERGY

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"419" Scam – Advance Fee / Fake Lottery Scam

The so-called "419" scam is a type of fraud dominated by criminals from Nigeria and other countries in Africa. Victims of the scam are promised a large amount of money, such as a lottery prize, inheritance, money sitting in some bank account, etc.

Victims never receive this non-existent fortune but are tricked into sending their money to the criminals, who remain anonymous. They hide their real identity and location by using fake names and fake postal addresses as well as communicating via anonymous free email accounts and mobile phones.

Keep in mind that scammers DO NOT use their real names when defrauding people.
The criminals either abuse names of real people or companies or invent names or addresses.
Any real people or companies mentioned below have NO CONNECTION to the scammers!

Read more about such scams here or in our 419 FAQ. Use the Scam-O-Matic to verify suspect emails.

Click here to report a problem with this page.

Some comments by the Scam-O-Matic about the following email:

This email uses a separate reply address that is different from the sender address. Spammers use this to get replies even when the original spam sending accounts have been shut down. Also, sometimes the sender addresses are legitimate looking but fake and only the reply address is actually an email account controlled by the scammers.
The following phrases in this message should put you on alert:
- "dear sir/madam" (a standard Nigerian greeting phrase)
- "offshore account" (Banks mentioned in 419 scams are always fake (real banks don't communicate using mobile phones or free webmail addresses))
- "johnmurphy75@gala.net" (this email address has been used in a known scam)
This email message is a 419 scam. Please see our 419 FAQ for more details on such scams.

Fraud email example:

From: "DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS & ENERGY" <johnmurphy212@rediffmail.com>
Reply-To: johnmurphy75@gala.net
Date: Sun, 13 Mar 2011 15:04:11 +0200 (EET)
Subject: DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS & ENERGY

DEPARTMENT OF MINERALS & ENERGY
PRETORIA 0001, SOUTH AFRICA.
FROM THE OFFICE OF J. K. Murphy
Dear Sir/Madam
Good day to you. I write to solicit for your assistance in a matter that
can be of mutual benefit to us. The Department of Minerals and Energy
where I work, recently received presidential order, requesting the
Department to compile and forward a list of all foreign contractors
license for oil lifting and payments. I am handicapped in this present
circumstance, as the South African Civil Service Code of Conduct does not
allow me to use my company name for this license and operate offshore
account, hence your importance in the transaction. I will front your
company legally, as the allocation license beneficiary with my position
because our government is presently paying some foreign contractors and
non-governmental financial agencies, all contract funds owned to them in
accordance with the validity of their license.

Should you agree, I can include your companyâ€™s name for payment which
shall be approved as previous contract work executed and this payment
shall be transferred upon approval to a safe account that would be
provided by you, should you accept to be our partner. I will be willing to
forward to you further clarification on this deal, upon your positive
response and also look forward to a prospective business relationship with
you.

Kindly get back to me at johnmurphy75@gala.net

Warm regards
J K Murphy

Anti-fraud resources:

What can you do when you receive 419 spam